Guest Profile

Daniel Lenois

Daniel Lenois grew up in the crop-laden fields of Ellington, CT, where he initially entered into the public school system at the Elementary grade level. However, people with disabilities were not held in high regard in the early 2000s. As a child with Asperger's Syndrome, now commonly referred to as Autism Spectrum Disorder, Daniel experienced much difficulty in integrating himself into an otherwise almost-exclusively neurotypical school setting. Throughout his adolescent years, Daniel worked with various local and state-level organizations and government representatives, with the goal of furthering not just autism awareness, but also autistic acceptance. Daniel formed a close association with the Focus Center for Autism, a direct care facility specializing in working with autistic children and teens between the ages of 5-18. Daniel would eventually find not just confidence, but also purpose, in his proactive role as an advocate. Daniel would go on to formally step away from activism in 2016, to pursue his own educational goals.At Age 19, Daniel undertook the General Educational Development exams, passing on the first try, attaining his General Equivalency Diploma. He then pursued an Associate's Degree in Criminal Justice on a part-time basis at Tunxis Community College for over five years, paying for classes out-of-pocket as he went, before ultimately transferring to Central Connecticut State University in 2021 for a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature, with one minor in Writing & Publishing, and a second in Cinema Studies.Daniel now actively pursues his goal of becoming the very teacher he wishes he had from a young age. Daniel is currently enrolled at the Central Connecticut State University, pursuing a Master' Degree in Education.